


Masquerade

by ArtistAtHeart1



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Abduction, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Halloween Challenge entry for my Amino group, Halloween Costumes, Hurt, Hurt Dick Grayson, It was supposed to be a fun night, Masks, Sad Ending, Surprise Ending, Tragedy, Wayne Manor, sharing it here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-22 15:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21304022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtistAtHeart1/pseuds/ArtistAtHeart1
Summary: It's the annual masquerade party at Wayne Manor. Dick, for kicks, decides to go as a Talon. He thought it would be a fun take on the theme and has a plan if they want to spice it up. Bruce reluctantly agrees, but the night does not end as planned.This was one of three entries for a three week Halloween challenge (one fir each week) on the DC Amino group I'm in. The first week's theme was costumes.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, William Cobb (DCU) & Dick Grayson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 65





	Masquerade

The Wayne masquerade party was as mundane as it was long. And that was to say very. However, it was not only for his public image, but an old Wayne tradition. With that in mind, he knew holding these kinds of parties honored them. And with Dick back at the manor for a visit, he knew he wouldn't be going at it alone. Nor would he have to worry about Damian getting too stir crazy, knowing that Dick would help keep an eye on him.

There was a knock on the door, prompting Bruce to slip on the silver rimmed black eye mask. He approached the door, figuring it was Dick or Alfred coming to get him. As he got the door, another knock tapped on the door.

"I'm coming." Bruce stated opening the door.

Bruce froze, eyes horrified by what was in front of him. A figure stood in front of him, clad in a dark colored costume with golden accents. . The hood was up, had golden bird like features and a pale blue gleam in the goggles. This was a Talon. And if he was here, that meant that everyone was in trouble.

"It's me." Dick greeted, pulling the hood down.

"Damn it, Dick." Bruce gasped. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Sorry." Dick apologized with a playful smirk as he entered the room. "I thought I'd do something a little different tonight."

"Where did you even get that thing?"

Dick stood in the center of the room, his back facing Bruce. He knew this was a pretty sporadic choice on his part. And a pretty symbolic one at that. It wasn't exactly a choice he talked to Bruce about.

"When I was a 'Talon', the Parliament crafted a uniform similar to William Cobb's. That way I could shadow him, and make it appear as though he's in two places while they worked on a 'uniquely crafted' uniform for me." Dick looked at Bruce, who seemed puzzled by the costume. "Don't worry, I got Alfred's approval, as this is a unique take for a masquerade party, and we planned a murder mystery type act if you'd like to spice things up. And of course, the guests will be told it's me." Dick shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, I think we both know that Talon's don't like lurking around parties, unless they were on business."

Though unusual and dangerous, Bruce had to give Dick props for coming up with this kind of idea. He was using his rejected family business, which was pretty original, but Bruce couldn't help but find it a bit tasteless with their dealings with the Court of Owls. However, it was too late to change it now, even if he wanted to. Bruce sighed.

"Alright." Bruce accepted. "But if it freaks too many people out, I at least expect you to take the hood off."

"Fair enough." Dick agreed.

~

The party was going off without a hitch. People entered the manor the manor wearing an array of Victorian based outfits and masks ranging from fully crafted porcelain looking masks to colorfully glittered eye masks.

And as promised, the guests were forewarned about Dick's choice. Surprisingly enough, most of them were either impressed, or brushed it off as the myth they were told as children. Both of which were good.

Dick seemed to enjoy putting on the show and was communicating well with the guests. Even Damian seemed interested. However, given how little he cared for galas and parties, it wasn't a surprise that he'd be enlightened by something unusual. Even if it was to scoff at Dick's choice.

~

As the night went on, Bruce would lose sight of Dick, which was a little surprising. However, with as many guests as there were, it wasn't as though he could monitor him. Though as an adult, the last thing he needed was monitoring. It wasn't until Damian approached him, that Bruce was forced to think about it.

"Have you seen Grayson?" Damian inquired.

"Excuse me." Bruce told the guest he was currently talking to before going to talk with Damian. "He was talking with Lucius last time I saw him."

"Which was half an hour ago."

"And when did you last see him?"

"Twenty minutes ago when he said he had to use the restroom and offered to bring food to Titus since my room was right there."

That was a little unusual since it shouldn't have taken no more than five to ten minutes for the trip. When Alfred could be seen walking in their direction, Bruce figured he might know.

"Alfred, have you seen Dick?" Bruce inquired.

"I thought he was with Master Damian," Alfred admitted, "but since he's here, clearly Master Dick is elsewhere. But that might not be the only problem. The guests are complaining about a man in a black suit and a blue mask."

Bruce started to look around, ignoring Alfred's sentence. Looking throughout the main hall, he thought he'd be able to at least spot Dick.

"Where is he?" Bruce questioned. "He shouldn't be too hard to spot."

A dark figure caught his eye, confirming Dick's location, standing at the top of the stairs. He turned back around, moving somewhere on the second floor. Damian was the one to agree to speak with him as he ran up the stairs. When he got to the top, he found him watching the party down below. In the back of Damian's mind, he felt like something seemed off. Dick's demeanor seemed proud.

"Grayson." Damian called out.

It almost seemed like he didn't hear Damian as he continued to watch. Why he was still up here was curious. His lack of response even more so.

"Grayson." Damian nearly shouted as he approached him. "What's the matter with you?" There wasn't a response as he stood in the hallway. "First you disappear for thirty minutes and now, you're ignoring me?" There was more silence. "Speak to me."

Damian inspected the man in front of him. It was then that he realized something really wrong. If his silence wasn't odd enough, his height was even stranger. There was no way he could have grown a few inches in thirty minutes.

"You're not Grayson." Damian realized.

"Precisely." The Talon finally answered, before pulling out a knife and stabbing Damian.

Damian clenched his side, crouching down in pain. The talon coldly eyed him as the blood started to stain his clothes.

The impostor was proud of his accomplishment as he went for a nearby closet. Opening it, he pulled out his prize. Dick, bound and gagged, wearing the outfit that Alfred described the problem guest. Dick was unconscious, either due to drugging or a pinched nerve if Damian had to guess. The Talon threw Dick over his shoulder and was ready to make his move.

This Talon clearly was after Dick and was willing to sneak in to get him.

"So long Boy Wonder." The Talon released.

~

"What's taking them so long?" Bruce questioned.

Bruce was about to go for the stairs to check when Vicki Vale stopped him. She pulled him on to the floor, wanting to talk to him.

"Amazing party as always." Vicki complemented.

"Thank you," Bruce accepted, "but…"

"And Dick's unusual costume choice was just what this party needed. So unique and dedicated to the role." She looked towards the window. "Though I just have to ask, why is he leaving the grounds with our disruptive guest?"

"I'll be sure to… What do you mean he left?"

"Yeah, we had a rather disruptive guest earlier, kept eyeing Dick." Vicki let out a disturbed sigh. "He was really creepy, and I guess Dick is taking care of it. But how the creep was able to change hairstyle so quickly is really bizarre."

Bruce scanned the room as he processed what he had just been told. He was caught off guard when he caught Damian leaning against the railing on the second floor while clenching his side. Damian was signing something over and over again, until Bruce got it: Talon took Dick. Bruce stiffened while still keeping his composure and mentally processing what to do.

"Everything okay Bruce?" Vicki inquired.

"Fine." Bruce lied. "You'll have to excuse me, I'm going to give Dick a call. See if he's alright." Out of the corner of his eye, Bruce caught Alfred approaching him. "Alfred, I need you to help Damian, it seems someone accidently spilt their wine on him."

Alfred was puzzled by the statement, wondering what Bruce was talking about. But when Bruce pointed his eyes towards the second floor, he got the picture. He was stunned by Damian's appearance, but before he could respond, Bruce put a hand on his shoulder and leaned forward to say something to him.

"Stay calm." Bruce whispered. "A Talon kidnapped Dick. I'm going to need you to patch him up and keep the party going while I 'call' Dick."

"Okay." Alfred sighed.

Alfred excused himself to tend to Damian, all the while keeping his composure for the guests.

~

It wasn't long until Batman was out of the cave, hunting for Dick's captor, all the while mentally blaming himself for not telling Dick to change. In hindsight it was the perfect opportunity. No one would expect a Talon hiding in plain sight. And with Dick being the only one wearing what he was, switching was the escape plan.

The communicator rang, disrupting his train of thought. It was Alfred, which had to mean he had something.

"What do you got?" Batman inquired.

"According to a few guests, our imposter was seen leaving the premises through the front gates." Alfred stated. "No one said anything because they thought he was taking care of the creep that was eyeing him all night. And that was about ten minutes before Vicki spoke with you."

"So he could be anywhere." Batman figured.

"Not necessarily."

Batman glared at nothing, knowing that the butler picked up on it.

"Call it a hunch, but I imbedded a tracker on the uniform. His intentions were innocent enough, but something about the uniform didn't seem entirely kosher. Outside of what we already know, obviously."

"And I assume you have something."

"Of course. Call it cliché, but the tracker picked them up somewhere around the cemetery."

""I'm on it."

With that Batman cut the communication line, thinking about the venue. The cemetery. Of all places why go there? He forced the thought back, knowing that the location wasn't important. Dick's safety was.

~

Deep within the cemetery, the Talon stood over Dick, who was still unconscious. The Talon was cautious, even though he was too bound to escape. Because if there was anything he knew better than anyone else, was just how crafty the acrobat could be.

It wasn't until he crouched down that Dick began to stir. He removed his hood as Dick's eye sight adjusted. And the moment Dick realized where he was and who he was with, he shuttered in panic.

"Don't worry Richard," William assured, grabbing the bottom of his grandson's face, "you're back where you belong."

Dick struggled, trying to loosen his binds, but was only successful in traumatizing his wrist against the coarse fiber. He knew exactly what William was speaking of, and he wanted nothing to do with it. William smirked as he stood up and turned around. Batman

"You won't be needing this anymore." William decided, breaking the small tracker between two fingers.

"And you don't need Dick." Batman argued. "Let him go."

William took a few steps towards the Dark Knight. His smirk was still sinisterly held on his face.

"You stole my legacy." William accused. "I cannot allow that."

With the snap of his fingers several more Talon's emerged from the shadows. They surrounded Batman awaiting an order.

"Kill him." William decreed, walking back towards his grandson.

The Talons didn't need much else as they lunged for Batman. And with Dick subdued coupled with Batman being alone, it was the perfect trap. The perfect murder. All the while, Batman kept himself focused on two things: defeating them and saving Dick.

Unfortunately their numbers were problematic, and getting through them could pose a challenge. And with only enough of the cooling agent to subdue Dick's captor, knocking the others down would be difficult.

As the Talons attacked began to weaken Batman, Dick tried to avert his gaze. William on the other hand, took the opportunity to grab a wad of hair and force him to continue watching.

"Revel in our success Richard." William praised. "Your playful ignorance worked so well with my delicate planning. I'm so proud of you."

Dick's breath fearfully stiffened as he anxiously continued to watch. The uneven fight dragged out for what felt like hours. But when a hand was raised and an order, it stopped. Batman was on his knees, bleeding and breathing heavily.

William once more walked towards Batman. This time getting right in front of him. He crouched down, pulling out a dagger. He held it barely over his Adam 's apple, knowing precisely what he was going to do.

"Anything you'd like to say before I kill you?" William inquired, removing the freezing agent from him. "Blame you'd like to cast for those responsible for it. Final words."

Batman looked at Dick, whose eyes were widened, brimming with tears. He wanted to fight. Run to his aid. To tell him everything that would be okay. But making it out of this alive wasn't going to be an option, and Batman hated what was going to happen next.

"Dick, this isn't your fault." Batman stated. "I didn't really approve, but you were only doing something you thought would be a fun experiment. I'd be lying if I said everything would be okay. Just promise me you'll fight."

All Dick could do was stare in despair. Guilt rose in his throat, but he didn't have the strength or ability to cry out. To apologize. To say goodbye. William, however, was unamused by Batman's gesture. His message was nothing more than a false sense of hope.

"Poetically put," William complemented, "but incredibly naïve. He's mine now. His destiny fulfilled."

The small blade slashed Batman's jugular, spilling blood. Dick's body jolted with a morbid reflex as Batman's body fell. William stood up once he knew Batman was no longer breathing.

"Do what you want with the body." William ordered. "Burn it. Drop it in front of the manor. Whatever you want." He looked back at Dick. "My legacy is ready to be initiated." With that he approached Dick, lifting him up. "It's time to go Richard. There's no more running from destiny. You're a Talon now, and you are mine."


End file.
